Do You?
by chelz
Summary: Pacey all of the sudden becomes Mr. Popular in high school, and leaves Joey high and dry. So, years later, Joey isn't looking forward to being in her sister's wedding because Pacey is going to be the best man! Will their grudges keep them from exploring s
1. Dear Diary

Do You?  
Prologue: Dear Diary...  
  
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Author's Note (please read!): Well, I wasn't going to have a prologue, but then I realized that in order for the beggining to make since, you need to know the backround info. I'll just let you know that I'm pretty much changing the WHOLE story, minus a few things. I want to give credit to Elizabeth Chandler for the idea and much of the story line. I chose the sport lacrosse because I live in Maryland and it's pretty much the only sport I know about. It's really big here. And, I do realize that it's the wrong season for lacrosse, but work w/ me here, alright? Um... I don't think there was anything else I needed to say, but if there is, I'll point it out later. OH ONE MORE THING. Abby doesn't die, okay? She plays a pretty important role... well, enjoy!  
  
  
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September 5, 1997  
Dear Diary,  
Okay, I know what you're saying... since when does Joey Potter, tomboy extrodinare, keep a diary? Well, since I started high school... so, I guess, today. Yep, that's right. The "Three Musketeers" have started high school. Scary thought.  
Speaking of which, Pacey and I had a long talk today. Weird, huh? Who knew that lame-brain Witter could even form a sentance, let alone have an actual adult conversation. Anyway, he said that he was afraid that high school would change everything so he wanted to hang out more. Something about a gut feeling he had... I don't know. I guess I tuned him out around there. Dawson was comming over...  
  
Oops, got to go. Bessie's on a rampage. Problems with Bodie, maybe?...  
  
cya  
  
  
  
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September 6, 1997  
Dear Diary,  
Wow. Pacey really meant it when he said he wanted to be better friends. You know, he's actually not that bad...  
Dawson was talking about trying out for lacrosse. Dawson? Lacrosse? Those words don't belond in the same sentance!  
  
He also said Pacey was thinking about trying out. I think there's something in the water around here. It's turning their brains to mush!  
  
Today we had an assembly about the different extra-curricular activites they offer. All of them looked prety dumb, except one. The Minute News. It's the CHS weekly newspaper... I"ve always wanted to be a journalist... They said they were looking for sports reporters and editors. Now, sports is DEFINATELY not my thing, but still... if I need to do sports, then I'll do it!  
  
cya  
  
p.s: One thing the speaker said at the assembly kind of caught my attention... "High school is a time of exploring yourself and others. Believe me, everything will change, whether you want it to or not..."  
  
What a bunch of bull.  
  
  
  
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September 13, 1997  
Dear Diary,  
God, Dawson and Pacey were serious about trying out! They're there right at this moment.  
Can you believe CHS actually has a lacrosse team? I mean, that stuff's, like, big in Maryland or something. Not in Massachusettes!  
  
Pacey and I have been spending so much time together. Even though he lives on the other side of town he still makes a point of walking me home everyday.   
  
You know, there are a l ot of things about Pacey that I never noticed before. Like the way his smile kind of lights up his face. Hell, it lights up the room! And the way he walks. It's like he knows that he looks like some sort of Freshman God. Kinda scary. But, sweet at the same time.  
  
God, I can't believe I'm saying all of this! I mean... it's Pacey!!  
  
cya  
  
  
  
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September 23, 1997  
Dear Diary,  
They did it. That's right. Dawson and Pacey both made the Junior Varsity lacrosse team. Can you believe it?  
Here's another one for you: Guess who is the newest sports reporter-in-training? ME! I got the job. Now all I have to do is some research on sports... like, what they are.  
  
Okay, I know this is totally out of the blue, but... I think I'm in love. Can you be in love at 14?  
  
And, before you ask, it's not Dawson. It's... Pacey. God, this is weird. It's just... he makes me feel so... alive. Alive. What a great word.   
  
Ugh. Look at me. I fall in love and I turn to puss.  
  
Gotta go. The three of us are going out to celebrate our victories (along with a new-commer who moved in next door to Dawson. Jessica or Jennice or something.) I've got to figure out what to wear! (Don't say a word)  
  
cya  
  
  
  
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October 10, 1997  
Dear Diary,  
Pacey and Dawson had their first game today. And, guess what? THEY WON!!!! 15-11. Pacey played really great. At least, a lot of the freshman bimbo-blonde female population thought so...  
Jealous? No, I'm not jealous. Of course not. Not in the least. You're crazy.  
  
Well... okay. Maybe I'm a little jealous... but only a LITTLE TEENY TINY BIT, I swear.  
  
So, I asked him to go out and celebrate (as friends), but he got pulled away by the team. So it was just Dawson and me and that girl I told you about. Her name is Jen and she's from New York. Apparently she had a reputation, but she's still extremely cool. We went to the Icehouse. I had fun.  
  
Really, I did.  
  
cya  
  
  
  
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October 23, 1997  
Dear Diary,  
Pacey didn't walk me home today.  
He didn't yesterday either.  
  
He said he was busy. "You know, team stuff."  
  
Funny how Dawson didn't mention anything going on.  
  
Funny how Dawson never blows off a movie night to go to some junior's "housewarming party" that Jen says is just some excuse meaning "party. free beer". (of course, the movie nights are at his house, but that's beside the point.)  
  
Gotta go.  
  
cya  
  
  
  
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October 25, 1997  
Dear D,  
We made our plans for Halloween at lunch today. We're probably the only freshman actually going, but hey, it's our last year to really hold on to childhood.  
Anyway, the four of us (Jen only after much convincing from Dawson) are going as the Wizard of Oz characters. Jen's the scarecrow without the brain, Dawson's the cowardly lion, Pacey's the heartless tinman (**author's note** notice the characters i gave them... they work w/ my story.), and I'm Dorothy.  
  
cya  
  
  
  
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October 31, 1997  
Dear D,  
Pacey blew us off. The Varsity lacrosse team invited the JV team to a party. Dawson said he'd already made plans, but Pacey, of course, being Pacey, accecpted.  
Doorbell just rang. Time for the early trick-or-treaters.  
  
cya  
  
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November 14, 1997  
Dear D,  
This is the last time I write in this diary. Pacey ended our friendship. I confronted him about his "absense" in the things that all of us used to do and to make a long story short, we got into a fight and he said, "Well, Jo, if that's the way you feel, then maybe our friendship isn't worth all the trouble." We stared at each other for what seemed like hours until he finally turned away.  
I keep thinking about the look in his eyes. It was like this deep shade of blue that held so many emotions. Anger. Guilt. Frustration. Regret. Hope. Love? No. Definately not love...  
  
He's practically a God at school now. Even Abby Morgan, the gossip queen who always looked down on him, is fawning all over him! And he's only on JV!  
  
So, it was fun while it lasted. Diaries are for people to write down their feelings, but ever since Pacey walked away, I have none. Nothing to say. If this is the way love feels, then I never want to love again. Ever.  
  
Changes suck.  
  
cya,  
Joey Potter  
  
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Joey closed the diary, reached under her bed, and stored the book in a small box for good. Sitting on her bed facing her window, she heard the voices of high school guys. Hoping it was Pacey, she hopped out of bed to peer out the window. It was Pacey, but the guys with him definately weren't Dawson. It looked like a bunch of sophmores, juniors, and seniors. As they passed her house, Pacey looked over at Joey's window. Their gazes met, and for a second, Joey was hopeful. Please come over. Please come over. But, to her dissapointment, one of the guys tapped him on the shoulder getting his attention, and they walked past. I can't take this anymore. She walked back over to her bed, and, for the first time since her mom died, Joey Potter cried herself to sleep.  
  
  
  
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	2. Letter to the Editor

Do You?  
Part I: Letter to the Editor...  
  
  
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"Any mail for me?" Joey Potter asked as she walked into the office for the Minute News, Capeside High's weekly newspaper.  
"We already sent all the small ticking packages and kidnap threats to the police, so none left for you," Andie, the managing editor, said.  
  
Joey was used to this, so she simply replyed, "Har har. Another day, another unhappy jock. Who can please them?" At the moment, she wasn't very popular with the guys' lacrosse team, even-- no, especially-- their team captain/star player Pacey Witter and his many adoring fans. Hmmm... Pacey... I wonder... STOP IT POTTER. It's been years.  
  
"You know, I have trouble imagining Pacey Witter wanting to kidnap Joey," Abby added. "Kidnappers actually have to spend time with their victoms." Abby looked over at Joey with disgust, then turned back to her mailbox. Abby Morgan was Pacey's biggest fan and the editor of the People section. She had come by after dismassal to check her mail from her "sources."   
  
"Well, I'm sure our budget would cover the ransom," said Cliff, a senior and the editor in chief. "After a few hours of being drilled by Joey's questions, he wouldn't ask for much. Hell, he might even pay us to take her back!" At that the three cracked up.  
  
"You guys are on a roll today, aren't you," Joey muttered to herself. Walking over to the stack of newspapers that had been released earlier that day, she picked one up. "Guess I should read this," refering to the editors section.  
  
"You mean, you haven't read it yet?" Andie asked. Andie McPhee moved to Capeside sophmore year and went out with Pacey for a while. They were really in love. Rumor has it that they even had sex, but Dawson wouldn't tell Joey any details. Needless to say, Pacey's ego got in the way and they ended things. Andie was now hott for Cliff Eliot, but for the moment she had to settle for being best friends with the guy.  
  
"Why, something I should know?" Joey asked as she flipped through the paper to the editor's section.  
  
"Pacey wrote a long letter to the editor complaining about last weeks cover on the team's game," Abby piped up.  
  
"Guess I better see what the pond scum has to say..." Finding the article, she started to read.  
  
  
..."Dear Editor,  
As captain of the varsity lacrosse team I am writing about the poor coverage we have been recieving from your sports editor, Joey Potter. Each week, instead of writing a clear, un-biased report on our games she gabs on like a late-night talk show host....  
  
"That's bull shit," Joey remarked, then continued to read.  
  
  
..."She makes every game a joke at the expence of the team. I don't mind her comments about my leadership skills,...  
  
"Like hell you don't.  
  
  
..."But I resent the unfair comments she makes about the rest of the team....  
  
"So, tell me how it's unfair," Joey said.  
  
"He does," the other three replyed simultaniously, causing Joey to look up from the paper.  
  
"For the next three columns," Andie added.  
  
"Who knew jocks could write?"  
  
"I certainly didn't," Cliff replyed. "But, hey, I'm not complaining. Because of his letter I only had to write one paragraph in the editorial."  
  
"Cliff," Abby said cautiosly. "Could I do an article on Pacey in the People section. You know, to smooth things over?"  
  
Say no. Say no, Joey thought.  
  
"I mean, a lot of the kids would really love it," Abby added, trying to convince him.  
  
"Well... I'll think about it. But only on one condition," Cliff replyed.  
  
"WHAT? Anything!" Abby exclaimed, eager to spend time alone with Pacey to interview him, if not more.  
  
"Joey has to help you," Cliff said smugly, knowing Joey would be upset.  
  
"WHAT?!?!?" came the reply from both Joey and Abby.  
  
"End of discussion for now."  
  
Abby sent Joey a smothering look. Joey quickly picked up her things. "I gotta go."  
  
"Going to the girl's lacrosse game?"  
  
"Yeah, I promised Henry I'd be there and that he should be on the field right when the players are. Can't be laggin behind." Henry was an eager freshman, and Joey's trainee. Originally he was playing on the football team but had to quit because of a shoulder injury. He helped her over the girls' lacrosse on Tuesday and Thursday and guys' on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  
  
Wanting to get into the sunlight, Joey slammed intot he door with her shoulder-- or, what would have been the door if someone hadn't already opened it first. Catching herself, Joey found herself standing face-to-face with Pacey Witter.  
  
He stared at her with intense blue eyes for what seemed like forever. Then the moment passed as if it hadn't happened at all. They brushed by each other without even a second glance, letting the heavy door slam between them.  
  
  
  
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	3. Bess Potner?

Hey ppl!! You're in luck, another post! :) okay well enjoy. I'll be back soon with more.   
  
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"Daisy Jo, is that you?" Bessie, Joey's sister, called from somewhere in the house.   
  
'Daisy Jo my ass,' Joey thought. When she was younger, first grade probably, she hated her name and the name Daisy sounded perfect. Pretty, elegant. So Joey insisted that everyone in her family called her Daisy. That was years ago and Bessie still used it as a pet name. Joey didn't mind that much but if anyone other then her best friend Jen Lindley knew she'd die.  
  
"Yeah, Bess, it's me. How's the wedding going?" Bessie was getting married to Jonathan Maxwell Miltler III, an up-tight business man from a wealthy family. Joey had only met him once and that was when she just happened to run into the two so she didn't get to meet his family or anything. The only thing she knew, other then the fact that he's rich, is that he has two step-brothers and he shares his name with his dad and his grandfather.  
  
Bessie walked into the living room where Joey was standing. Joey noticed that her hair was done up in yet another hair do. "New hair, huh?" It was sort of twisted up on the top of her head. "Isn't that the same one you got done last week?"  
  
Bessie sighed and shook her head. "No, last week these strands of hair weren't hanging down and the bun wasn't as high." Jonathan was making Bessie go to the hair salon until she got a hairdo that HE liked, and from the looks of things, they weren't going to decide on hair anytime soon.  
  
"Well, what does Jonathan think of it?"  
  
"He loves it."  
  
"And you?"  
  
"Hate it."  
  
"Then don't wear it!" Joey couldn't understand her sister. HER sister, the one who single handedly raised Joey through her tough teenage years when their mother died and their father went to prison, was letting someone else order her around. It was so… not Bessie.  
  
"Jonathan doesn't like the way I want it," Bessie said, biting her lip.  
  
"Well, it's not Jonathan's hair, now is it?"  
  
Bessie waved her hand in the air which was their mutual symbol to let the subject drop. 'Fine, for now.'  
  
"So," Joey said, trying to keep the conversation light. "Ready to become Mrs. Bessie Potter Miltler?"  
  
"Well," Bessie began. "Not exactly…"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I mean, I won't be Potter Miltler."  
  
"Bess! I thought that we both said that when we get married we're going to keep our last name as our middle name. Besides, your middle name is Steinwhell so I don't know why you're hesitating on this."  
  
"Well, it's just that…" Bessie seemed reluctant to continue, but Joey urged her on. "Jonathandoesn'tknowthatmylastnameisPotter," Bessie said in one breath.  
  
"WHAT??????? How can he NOT know? You guys have been dating for seven months!" 'Seven LONG months,' Joey thought.  
  
"Well, when I met him he had just come back from college right? I introduced myself as 'Bess' and then we started talking and he said something about the 'Potter family'." Joey thought she would explode when she heard that.   
  
"WHO DOES HE-" But Bessie quickly cut her off.  
  
"No! Nothing bad. Well yeah, it was bad but not like, HORRIBLE or anything. We really hit it off and I didn't want him to reject me when I told him my last name so… I didn't."  
  
"So what, he thinks you're like Cher? 'Bess no-last-name?'"  
  
"No, of course not stupid. He thinks our last name is Pottson."  
  
"Pottson?! That name sucks!"  
  
"Hey it was last minute! I had started saying 'Potter' then thought better of it so it came out 'Pottson.'" Bessie looked at Joey, almost as if she was afraid Joey'd bite her.  
  
"Bessie, how do you get yourself into these kind of messes? Sometimes I think I'M the big sister around here."  
  
"Just… argh." The phone started ringing so Bessie went to pick it up. "Hello?… Yeah, hi!… Uh, yeah…"  
  
Joey desperately tried to understand what they were talking about but of course, she could only hear Bessie's side of the conversation. "Who is it?" she whispered.  
  
Bessie only waved a hand at her. "Uh huh… no! Oh, are you alright?… No, don't think twice about it… REALLY… you concentrate on having your baby okay?… No, I'm sure Joey will have no problem filling in…"  
  
'Uh oh.'  
  
Bessie hung up and looked to Joey. "What is it, Bess? And whatever it is the answer's NO."  
  
Bessie gave her a pleading look. "Jo, that was Cynthia. Her baby's giving her problems and their afraid it's going to arrive premature so she's bed ridden until it arrives."  
  
"Cynthia… the maid of honor?"  
  
"Yeah, so Dais, can you PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE be my maid of honor. I need you, sis."  
  
Joey thought about this. She knew she really didn't have a choice because Bessie did provide a roof over her head. And food to eat. Of course, Joey could get a job and do that for herself. But that'd take time…  
  
With a strangled sigh Joey said, "Okay, Bess. I'm there."  
  
"Okay well, the Miltlers are throwing a party on Friday night for all their business partners who aren't going to attend the wedding, but the maid of honor and the best man are supposed to be there."  
  
"Friday night?? No! Bess, Dawson's taking me to Boston to see the Red Sox, remember? It's the only time I'll be able to go all year!" Dawson had surprised her the week before with the tickets and she had been extatic ever since. And now she wouldn't be able to go? It wasn't possible.  
  
"Joey, PLEASE. You have to be there. I even paid someone to play our Dad since they don't know that the real Mike Potter is serving time. You have to be there!!"  
  
'Godamit, the things you do for sisters.'  
  
"Fine, Bess. I'll go row over to Dawson's and tell him."  
  
"Thanks, Daisy, you're an angel." With that Bessie left the room to do… whatever it is she needed to do. Joey brushed her hair into a ponytail and left the house, shutting the door behind her.  



End file.
